Cotton Candy Dreams
by goblinesque
Summary: Vanellope just knew that something was in the fungeon. Worry filled her every night when she heard the screams and the scratching that took over at night. Finally she had enough and called the old heroes back to investigate. What they find is not what they expected. They will learn just how Sugar Rush came to be and who this forgotten creature is.
1. Monster in the Fungeon

**Chapter 1: Monster in the Fungeon**

**A/N: I only say this once and one time only, I own nothing but my own characters. **

**With that, I hope you enjoy my story :)**

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Vanellope had heard the sounds for three nights in a row. He had heard the noise every night. The noises sent fear through her small frame, but that was something that she would never ever allow any of her subjects or her friends know about. She had been brave during the whole bug episode and saved her best friend and surrogate brother Ralph, but it seemed that strange noises in the night still scared her.

She was after all still just a young child.

"You lived on your own Vanellope," she had to remind herself when she the noises rang through the lonely, cold castle made of candy that King Candy had previously owned.

At night when the noises were at their worst, her mind would wander. It would wander to terrible places. Mostly it wandered to alternate realities where King Candy/Turbo/Cybug was still very much alive and indescribably angry with her for helping in destroying his reign in Sugar Rush.

"He's dead," she had to remind herself every day, "He can't come back to harm you."

It had become a mantra that she said to herself every night. Sometimes, she wished the Ralph could leave his place in Fix-It-Felix Jr. and come live in the candy castle with her, just so she would have an adult in her new home to chase the sounds and the monsters out of the darkness.

"Where is the big crabby pants," she said aloud as she looked out at the lowering artificial Sun Drop sun in the distance as it slowly fell behind the diet coke mountain range. Once the sun went down and everyone settled in from a long day of racing and eating candy was when the frightening noises would start. The noises sounded like the cries, moans, screams, and nails clawing at cement as if a feral cat were trapped inside of the fungeon. She had told herself that no one could have possibly been left behind in the dungeon. It had been sealed up just after Vanellope took back control of the game that was rightfully hers.

"Madame President," the familiar voice of Sour Bill announced from behind, effectively pulling her out of her thoughts.

Vanellope turned quickly and a large smile came over her face as she looked up to her behemoth friend, Ralph, who was being followed by Calhoun and Felix.

"What's goin' on now little girl," Calhoun asked, slightly agitated, as she looked down at the little dark haired girl. She held a deadly looking gun from Hero's Duty in her hand like she always did when she came into Sugar Rush. She wanted no repeat of the Turbo/Cybug incident again. She wasn't taking any chances.

"Big Foot said you've been hearing noises," Calhoun added as she motioned toward Ralph, "You think a Cybug is still here?"

"Yeah," Vanellope answered with a nod of her head, "I didn't want to go in there, unarmed and all. I wasn't scared or nothin', I just thought that I should call in expert bug exterminators or whatever. I mean it's not like I'm scared of bugs or-"

"Well little girl," Felix announced happily as he looked at the young president, "Being afraid is nothin' to be ashamed of."

"I wasn't scared," Vanellope argued with the sweet country bumpkin repairman.

"Right," Ralph chuckled with a roll of his eyes as he watched slight irritation come over his friend's face.

"You're afraid," Vanellope said as she glared at the big destructive man in front of her that she had come to see as her big brother.

"Am not," Ralph argued.

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Children," Calhoun announced harshly as she held her very large, very deadly looking gun up toward the ceiling, "If there is really a bug in that old dungeon we need to put this puppy back in its cage."

"She's right," Felix agreed with puppy dog like eyes as he looked at his new wife who still looked like one dynamic gal to him in her tight leather war ware, "Lead the way Vanellope."

The married couple watched as Vanellope scurried up Ralph as if he were some common jungle jim on a playground and place herself upon his shoulders. Vanellope pointed toward the door and lightly kicked Ralph as if he were her personally pony.

"Onward barf breath," she demanded happily as Ralph grudgingly did as she had asked. He kept a careful hold of her as he walked through the rather large doors of the newly painted oval office. Pink no longer covered every inch of the room; it was no colored in a wonderful swirl of vibrant colors that reminded him of an open bag of M&Ms.

The small pack of game characters hurried toward the old fungeon. Apprehension and foreboding came over them as they came to a stop in front of the large double doors that had been sealed with a soft green colored fondant.

"So this is where the noise has been coming from," Calhoun asked as she held her gun firmly in her hands and pointed it toward the sealed Hershey bar that made up the double doors.

"Yeah," Vanellope answered as she hurriedly shimmied off of Ralph and back to the floor, "Except-"

"Except what," Ralph asked as he turned from the door to look down at his young diplomatic friend.

"There wasn't any noise last night," Vanellope informed her small group of friends that stood around her, looking down at her. Sometimes she hated at how small she was compared to these three, they always made her feel slightly inferior…exactly how King Candy had made her feel during his reign.

"You think the bug could have moved out of here," Ralph asked, quickly backing away from the sealed fungeon.

"That wouldn't be the worst of our problems," Calhoun whispered as she readied herself to shoot through the hard chocolate doors.

"What's wrong," Vanellope asked with a sly tone in her voice as she looked up at Ralph, "You scared of a bug?"

"Am not," he answered defensively.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are-"

"Guys," Felix announced, growing tired of their childish antics, but covering it up with his sweet disposition, "No one even said that there was a bug still down here. It could be just some poor soul that was forgotten."

Felix looked up at his blonde wife and smiled at her with nothing but love in his eyes and suggested, "Maybe we shouldn't go in with guns ablazin'. If it's just another character down there we don't want to give them congestive heart failure, no siry, I can't fix that."

Ralph shrugged his shoulders as he felt all eyes looking at him. That was a covered request for him to destroy the sealed candy bar doors.

"Alright fine," Ralph answered as he feigned exhaustion, "Don't everyone ask at one time. I'll do it."

He turned away from the small group of people and walked a few feet away from them. He took a deep breath as he flexed his large muscles and took in the doors. He backed a bit further to give him more momentum just before he would crash into the door.

"I'm gonna wreck it," he screamed in an angry tone as he rushed with large muscles toward the door. He turned his head inward and his large shoulders outward as his oversized body came into contact with the heavy doors.

Vanellope turned her head as she watched part of her new home being destroyed by her friend. She chuckled as he crashed into the dark fungeon. The sound of things breaking could be heard as he rolled down the stairs in the dark.

"You see anything Ralph," Felix asked into the darkness, but still remaining outside of the broken door way. Calhoun stood beside him with her gun ready in case the bug appeared.

"Hold on," Ralph yelled up to his friends from his place at the bottom of the fungeon. He behind him and shook his head. He could hear the sound of rats moving about in the darkness and water dripping onto the ground from somewhere deep inside the fungeon. His sharp eyes adjusted quickly to the dark and from the corner he heard a small gasp for help.

He turned quickly to where he had heard the small sound and stepped backwards slightly at what he was taking in. He had not planned on finding this scene. He had thought that he would be finding a small candy citizen that had been trapped inside, but not what he was seeing now.

In the dark, he listened to the soft voice whispering to him.

"What did you say," Ralph asked as he moved closer to the creature. "What are you saying? I can't understand you."

There were only hushed whispers coming from the dirtied creature that he was leaning over. The rancid smell of moldy cloth and unwashed skin filled his nostrils and he kept down the want to vomit. He didn't want to make the smell worse by throwing up on the poor creature that had been forgotten.

Sad, hazel eyes looked up at him from the dirt that the creature was laying in. He could see that this creature wanted to scream from the pain that it must have been in before he had busted through the sealed doors.

"Help me," a ragged voice whispered, the whisper was so soft that he almost did not believe that he had heard the words slip from the poor creatures chapped lips.

"What you find down there Ralph," the voice of Felix echoed through the dark cavernous fungeon.

"I'm on my way," Ralph answered as he shook his head at the sad creature that looked up at him with what looked to be tears in those sad eyes.

"Okay," he whispered as he felt a soft tug at his heart as he picked the creature off from the ground and into his large arms. He ignored the smell of the rotting clothes as he hurried toward the stairs and back toward his companions.

"What you got there," Felix asked as Ralph emerged from the darkness and into the lit room.

"It's a woman," Calhoun informed her husband as they watched long mud clumped hair dangle in the air.

Vanellope's eyes widened at the sight of the dirtied woman being carried away from the fungeon.

"But who is she," Felix asked as they all followed Ralph toward the small infirmary that was in the west wing of the castle.

"She needs medical attention fast," Ralph announced protectively over the creature that he was holding in his large arms, "No tellin' how long she's been down there."

Vanellope stopped in her tracks as she watched a silver tiara slip off of the woman's muddied hair and to the floor. It clanked and spun slightly as it danced upon the tiled floor.

"She was a prisoner of King Candy," Calhoun announced in slight disgust, "No tellin' what type of disgusting things that she went through. He probably had her dance and-"

"Guys," Vanellope interrupted the female hero and looked down at the tiara on the ground, "I think I know who she is."

Ralph turned and the woman in his arms moaned slightly and her stomach rumbled from lack of food and water.

"Who is she Vanellope," Felix asked as he looked at her with curiosity. They watched as the young diplomat picked the silver tiara from the floor and removed a small piece of dried mud from two diamond encrusted letters that glared up at her. The letters **QC** peered up at her in diamonds.

"QC," Ralph asked in confusion as he looked down at the placid woman in his arms, her eyes were closed and her breathing came in slow deep breaths, "That's a weird name."

"Is she from another game," Felix asked.

"Queen Candy," Vanellope whispered in slight confusion.

"What was that," Felix asked politely, "You kinda mumbled there Vanellope. "

"She's Queen Candy."

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**Reviews are as sweet as candy :)**


	2. Queen Candy

**Chapter 2: Queen Candy**

**So now we finally get to meet Queen Candy! I'm so excited! :)**

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Vanellope and her cohorts stood outside of the large bathroom doors inside of the newly discovered prisoner's bedroom. Days had gone by since they had found the dirtied woman. She had been so unresponsive that Calhoun had to do her best to shower the woman to get the mud from her body; she had been unsuccessful with the clumps of mud that had caked into the hair though.

"Has anyone spoken to her yet," Ralph asked in a hushed tone as he looked over to the messy bed where the woman had slept for days on end.

"Not yet," Felix answered.

They heard a soft constant humming emerge through the door as if it were a magical sound escaping the woman's lungs. Smoke from the hot water that she had been using moved underneath the door frame and evaporated into nothing.

"What's she singing," Calhoun asked in slight confusion as the soft dulcet voice of the strange woman entered their ears.

"You think that people would have had enough of silly love songs, but I look around me and I see it isn't so," the soft voice announced from behind the bathroom door.

"Well that sounds like a Paul McCartney song, sweetie," Felix answered with a smile that caused his cheeks to glow as he looked up at his beautiful wife.

"Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs," the woman sang loudly as she moved around in the bathroom.

"I wonder what she looks like clean," Ralph though out loud as they hurriedly backed away from the door.

"Is the queen out yet," the solemn voice of Sour Bill announced as he held a small plate of mixed fruits in his small green hands.

"Not yet," Vanellope said as she looked at the strange assortment of food upon the small plate, "What is that grumpy goose?"

"Fruit for Her Majesty," Sour Bill announced as he allowed the young president to gaze upon the food that was to be served to the mysterious.

"Wait, wait, wait," Ralph announced as he moved to look down upon the sour candy, "You know this women?"

"Of course I do," he answered obediently, but in a bored tone as he shook his head, "I-"

"Should have been EEEEEXXXXeeecuted," a sharp, angered voice announced from behind them all. They all turn in unison to see an angered woman standing in the door frame.

"Things are finally getting interesting around here," Calhoun announced as she looked at the rage that burned in the darkened hazel eyes.

Vanellope and Ralph's jaws both dropped as they took in the woman that stood in front of them. Her face seemed to be created out of marble like the Greek statues of years before. It was obvious that her artist had made her his work of art. Her hair was long and curled at the ends, it was so blonde that it could be mistaken for white, small silver coated sugar particles decorated the loose strands of hair that dared to fall out of the silver pin upon her head. The way she held herself seemed as if she were always meant to be a royal, to say that she was regal was an understatement. She exuded a royal line. The dress that she now wore was something completely different from what she had worn in the dungeon. It was full of detail. The bottom, that made up part of the underskirt, was decorated in black and dark brown swirls, made to resemble that of dark chocolate and chocolate swirling together to create the perfect chocolate candy. The skirt and on up to her bosom was a deep red and black that swirled about as if it were a beautiful Valentine's Day box hiding a great prize just underneath its folds. A large black collar darted out at sharp points as if warning people that if they were to venture too close to her that they would be poked. Her whole auro screamed danger, something that was mostly unknown to a character of Sugar Rush.

"Glad you didn't throw my dresses away," the woman announced happily as she looked at the young president. Her voice held a soft Dublin lilt that was only noticeable after she was finished speaking and one had time to digest what she had just said.

"We thought that they belonged to King Candy," Ralph admitted with a small mischievous grin, "He always did wear those fluffy pants."

"Hmmm," she answered in an unamused manner, "Thanks for taking care of them while Sour Bill over there had you keep me locked away."

"Here's your fruit Your Majesty," Sour Bill announced quickly as he held the plate toward her and lowered his eyes away from her, in fear of her not as an old fashioned tradition. He was truly frightened of this woman at that moment.

"So you were the queen," Calhoun asked as she looked at the sharp featured woman that stood in front of her.

"Yes," she answered simply as she walked toward the vanity in the corner of the room where Felix hid in the corner away from everyone.

"So wait a minute," Vanellope asked as she pushed passed Calhoun and Ralph, "You can't just come in here and be all Miss Fancy Pants and make yourself queen."

"Actually I can Vanellope," the woman announced, "See," she stopped as she picked a strawberry from the plate and bit into it, ripping the flesh from the fruit, "I will always be the true ruler of this game."

"Who are you," Felix asked as he moved toward Calhoun who was quickly tiring of the woman's harsh words to the young girl.

She stood from her place after a quick check of her teeth to ensure that there were no remnants of the strawberry's flesh in her pearly white teeth and smiled at the small group that filled her room. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"I'm Queen Carmella Candy," she introduced herself and bowed her head slightly to the president in front of her, "It's a pleasure to meet you officially President Vanellope."

Vanellope watched in slight wonder as the woman bowed at her waist and she felt obliged to do the same.

"But you can't come in here and take over," Calhoun tried to say.

"No, no, no," Carmella announced quickly as she shook her head causing the sugar to glisten as the light touched upon it, "I am not coming here to take Vanellope's position. I just want my story to be told, to be known."

"So Queen Candy," Felix asked as he jumped slightly on the ball of his boots, "How'd a queen like you get put in the fungeon?"

"Let's not kid around her Junior," Carmella announced as she peered at the little game character, "It's not a fungeon. It's a dungeon. It's dreary, cold, and rat infested. I would have died if Big Boy here wouldn't have found me. Thank you by the way."

"Oh no problem," Ralph replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "I was just trying to be a good guy."

"That didn't answer the question, Miss Frilly Skirt," Vanellope announced in her childlike manner.

Carmella turned to look down at Sour Bill and gave him a wicked smile as she demanded, "Care to enlighten them Sour Bill?"

"King Candy made me lock her in the fun," he stopped as he felt her harsh glare upon him, "in the dungeon…and I kind of forgot about her. Please don't make Ralph stick me back in his mouth."

"Of course not sweetie," Carmella replied with a smile as she popped a green grape into her mouth, "His halitosis has made it over to my poor nostrils. I'm above torture. In fact," she smiled down at the little sour candy, "I hold no ill will toward you at all Sour Bill. You were just doing your job, dearie."

"So how did you become a character in this game," Ralph asked as he watched her long white fingers move through the plate of fruit to find her next juicy victim. She ate upon the fruit as if it were pieces of candy. He could only guess that it had to do with her being left in the dungeon to starve.

"Well that's an easy question with an easy answer," Carmella replied with a flair of her wrist, "I was created just like all of you…but my creation story is a little bit more sad than one might think."

"Really," Calhoun asked, suddenly intrigued. She had been told that her backstory had been the saddest to ever be created. What could be worse than losing the man you loved on your wedding day to a damned Cybug?

"It all started ten years ago when I was nothing but a picture on an artist's desk…"

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**I know I'm evil to just leave you hanging like that...but a writer must have reviews to see what people are thinking. So I'm new in the WIR fandom so tell me if I'm not getting characters right. **


	3. An Artist & His Pain

**Chapter 3: An Artist & His Pain**

_He looked up from his desk and smiled as he turned to his sleeping girlfriend that lay in their shared bed. He had asked her to marry him two days ago and she had said yes. He was truly the luckiest man in the world. _

_Who would have known Amelia Love would have said yes to James Lawrence from a little old town in New Jersey? Who would have thought that she would have ever agreed to go on a date with him?_

_He had known._

_She was perfect for him. Her blonde, almost white hair, reminded him of Marie Antoinette and her beautiful hazel eyes sparkled whenever she became excited and happy or burned like hellfire when she was angry with him. She was an artist's dream._

"_I have to put her in it," he whispered to himself as he quickly scribbled the name for his new game idea down. _

_Had gotten the job at a game company and he had been asked to come up with a new game idea. A new racing game idea. The idea had only come to him when he and Amelia played Candy Man together just a week ago. _

_The first character came to him quickly. _

_The name "Carmella" was scribbled in cursive that resembled more like chicken scratches in the dirt. The smell of pencil lead and pen ink moved through his senses as he quickly sketched and outline of a very regal lady that resembled his girlfriend and that of Marie Antoinette._

_He suffered over the details in her eyes and in her hair. He placed in her hair the most beautiful of tiaras and gave her beautiful sparkles in her hair. He would add more detail once he transferred this sketch into his lap top later. _

"_What will her personality be like," he asked himself as he looked down at the incomplete sketch of his new star character._

"_She should be sassy as hell," he heard the sleepy voice of his girlfriend announce as she pulled herself from her sleeping position on the bed and looked toward him. _

"_But not too sassy," James informed her, "She's got to be loveable."_

"_She should be fashionable," Amelia announced happily as she slowly walked toward James._

"_Already got that," he answered as he thumbed his pencil upon the desk._

"_What would a queen of Candy Land do," he asked as he looked up to his girlfriend that wrapped her hand his shoulders as she stood behind him and peered down at the sketch._

"_She's pretty," Amelia announced with a smile. "I may get jealous."_

"_You should be," he announced with a chuckle as he allowed his girlfriend to run her hand through his curly black hair._

"_She'd never eat candy," Amelia said happily._

"_What," James asked in confusion as he looked down on the drawing. _

"_Well she'd be all about her weight," Amelia admitted, "She'd only eat fruits and veggies."_

"_But she doesn't have a boyfriend," James informed her softly, "She doesn't have anybody to impress."_

_Amelia rolled her eyes and shook her head, "She doesn't do it for a man, sweetie. She does it for herself. She likes the sweet taste that comes from fruit. It's all very predatory like. She likes ripping the flesh off of the fruit and devouring it."_

"_And what if I decide to create a character that she will eventually fall in love with," James asked, curious to hear her answer._

_She smiled at his question and looked down at the sparkling engagement ring that sat regally upon her ling thin finger._

"_Then she will love him no matter what his faults are," she replied honestly as a large smile tugged at her lips. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she looked into his bright blue ones._

"_What if he's insensitive sometimes and puts his work first when he doesn't mean too?"_

"_Then she will support him and then later yell at him when it's more convenient and less stressful," Amelia answered with the same sparkle in her eyes._

"_And one day they'll have children," James announced happily as he placed a kiss upon his girlfriend's cheek, just under her dainty ears. _

"_Carmella doesn't seem the type to be bothered by little brats with dirty hair and snotty noses," Amelia informed him as she looked down at the beautiful drawing of Carmella, the main character to the game of Sugar Rush._

_ Months had passed by quickly for the two lovers, though the term was no more an accurate depiction of the couple. They spent their free time arguing and the rest of their time focused on their own problems instead of talking together and drinking tea and watching the sunrise together after discussing their favorite novel._

_James glared at his lap top screen. His once beautiful drawing of Carmella had been thrown in the trash long ago and had taken shape on the computer screen. _

"_I think you love that character more than me," Amelia hissed bitterly as she walked passed James. He closed his eyes and attempted to ignore his girlfriend's harsh words._

"_Banana Splits, Sweetie," the sweet voice of Carmella announced from the lap top. James smiled as he looked up at his character that he had created long ago. She comforted him. He had known that. That was why he had spent so much time on creating her. He had created the other characters rather quickly but Carmella was his obsession. She had to be perfect, she was his perfect creation. She represented everything that was good in the world._

_Carmella was his masterpiece. _

"_I hate her," Amelia hissed and threw her pack of cigarettes at the computer screen._

"_She's just a game character," James screamed as he turned from his chair and stood quickly._

"_And she's finished," Amelia screamed back at him as she hurried toward him, rage fueled through their veins as they glared at each other, "We've gotten into so much debt that we both have to die twice before we can ever get out of it. Just give them the design and be done with it."_

_James shook his head as he looked back toward his computer screen to see Carmella's smiling face. He had fallen in love with his own creation and he could not make her real. She had first been a metamorphosis of Amelia but that had changed rapidly, Carmella was her own character altogether. Carmella liked to sing when she took showers, Carmella liked to cheer on the other racers, Carmella was a dreamer, and Carmella would do anything for the man that would steal her heart. Carmella was his to protect. _

"_I can't live like this anymore," Amelia admitted as she backed away from James and turned away from him._

_James shook his head as he watched her pull her already packed suit case out from underneath their once shared bed._

"_It's almost finished," he begged, "Please just a little longer."_

"_You won't ever be finished with her," Amelia said softly as sadness filled her, "You're obsessed with her and she's not even real."_

"_That's not true," he cried, hot tears fell down his cheeks as he looked into his girlfriend's burning hazel eyes, "The game's not finished yet. The Diet Coke Springs bonus level isn't even finished yet."_

"_That's because you spend all your free time working on Carmella," Amelia screamed, now acknowledging the character's name, "I can't be in a relationship like this anymore, James. I can't compete with her. You've given her no flaws and I cannot compete for your attentions anymore!"_

_He looked down to the floor, unable to look into her eyes. He knew what she had stated was the true. Carmella had no flaws. He had designed her that way. She was beautiful inside and out._

_Amelia shook her head and quickly walked passed him and said, "I'm going now, James."_

_James just stood there with hot tears falling from his eyes. He did not make an attempt to stop her. He felt a weight on his shoulders lift as he heard the door closed and the sound of a car moving away. He looked back at his computer and hurriedly sat down and smiled at Carmella who smiled softly back at him. She couldn't say anything to him; all she could do was watch._

"_I'm sorry Carmella," he whispered as he placed his thumb upon her face as if he were caressing the white skin of the character that he had created. _

_He turned away from her and grabbed a scratch piece of paper and began frantically scribbling in pen upon it as more hot tears fell from his face._

_..._

"Oh wow," Ralph replied as he looked over to the pale queen who was now looking out the window at the land that made up Sugar Rush. The others looked at each other with uncomfortable looks. They would have never guessed that there was such a sad story that went along with the creation of the most sugar coated cute game in the arcade.

Carmella closed her eyes as the dark memory crossed her mind once again. She had watched her creator give up on his game and give it to someone else to finish.

"The letter said that I was to stay in the game," she stated softly, "But-"

She stopped and closed her eyes as she remembered watching her creator fall from his place in the desk to the floor where he never got up again.

"They made you a glitch," Vanellope asked as she looked up to the sad queen. She hadn't glitched one time, Vanellope concluded that the woman had it under control. It did take some time to get the problem under control but it seemed like this character had.

"No," Carmella replied, her eyes now dark, "He let them forget about me. He told them not to delete me, but to allow no one to play me. I was just to be looked at and not played. Seen but not heard. I was to be placed on a shelf and forgotten about!"

"Jeepers Creepers," Felix whispered, "That's the most saddest creation story I've ever heard."

Carmella smiled and shook her head and said, "Oh it gets worse. They made me imperfect. I still have my beauty, but if you notice my personality is quite sour…I could rival Sour Bill in personality. He wanted me to be ugly after she left. I was the blame of it all."

"They were going to make you the bad guy," Ralph asked.

Carmella nodded and replied, "But they forgot about me and made Vanellope instead. They said kids would adore her rather than a blonde superficial queen," she stopped and smiled at the little girl and added, "Who doesn't love a dirty haired brat, right?"

"Heyyyy," Vanellope whined as she looked up at the queen, "At least I don't wear-"

"It was a compliment sweetie," Carmella quickly informed her, "Take what you can get from me because that's probably all you will ever get from me."

"So how exactly did you become Queen Candy," Calhoun asked, "You didn't actually marry that little fluffy pants did you?"

Carmella smiled at the female character and shrugged her shoulders at the woman's question.

"I was designed with another flaw," she admitted casually as a soft smile took over her sharp features, "When it all happened I was just a person in the crowd, no one ever noticed me. I lived where you were living Vanellope. I was nothing but a common vagabond…"

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**So we get to the real story next chapter.**

**What do you think? **


	4. Summer Sun Drops

**Chapter 4: Summer Sun Drops**

The sun shone bright upon the hot tracks in Sugar Rush. It was another day for the races and anyone who was anyone had already bought their tickets to watch the qualifying races. Laughter could be heard throughout the land as the attendants were preparing for the day's festivities.

Carmella stood just outside of her home inside of Diet Cola Mountain where she had made her home for years. She couldn't quite recall how she had found the place, no one else knew about the unfinished track inside of the mountain, and that was okay with her. She had solitude inside the mountain.

"Hey Carmel," a young man by the name of Peanut Brittle announced as he walked by her, "How you holdin' up?"

She rolled her eyes at him as she watched his judgmental eyes look over at her rags that she was forced to wear. Chocolate dust covered her face and sprinkles soiled her white hair. The sugar that usually sparkled in the sun light had long ago dulled away from years of not seeing a hair brush.

"I'm doing fine," she mumbled as she watched him hurry inside of his car. He was just a poor guy, though he was much better off than she was, and he was trying to qualify in the races.

"You like my car," Peanut asked as he pushed it toward her, chocolate dust flew off of his tires and stained his holy blue jeans.

Pretzels made up the wheels, candy corn decorated the side of the car, and it had large amounts of pink fondant thrown over it to hide the many cracks that the car had possessed.

"Not really," Carmella replied honestly, "No."

"Well she's got spirit," Peanut announced happily as he moved away from his car.

"So you're really going to try to race today," she asked as she looked at the ugly push pedal car. She knew that she looked bad in her ugly rags, but the car that she was looking at looked a hell of a lot uglier.

"Yep, racing is in my blood," he announced happily.

"Hmmm," she said as she looked over to the track where young children raced in their cars that were significantly better quality than Peanut's car was, "Peanut, you can't just win a race because you think you can. You have to have a good car and this piece of-"

"I know I can do it Carmella," Peanut informed her.

"How are you paying your entrance fee," she asked as she lifted her thin brow high as she looked into his chocolate colored eyes.

"My dad helped me save," he informed her, "We spent the entire summer cutting down double striped candy cane limbs."

"You shouldn't spend it on something as ridiculous as racing," she commented as she looked over to the castle in the far off distance. A strange, yet familiar, pull tugged at her heart. She closed her eyes as a warm wind blew through her hair carrying the smell of fresh lemons upon its current.

"Well if I win than I can buy whatever I want," he informed her, a large smile came over his face as he watched her bright hazel eyes staring off at the castle, "Hey, I could even buy you a room in King Candy's castle! That's where all the other racer's live…and their families."

"Family," she asked as she turned quickly to look at him with confusion sparkling in her eyes. She hadn't had a family and she hadn't the slightest idea of where they could be hiding.

"Yeah," he said as he kicked a small chocolate clod with his boot, "I think of you as my sister…you're even mean to me like a big sister should be."

She felt a smile tugging at the corner of her pink soft lips. She allowed the smile to take over her features as she looked at the young boy that stood in front of her. He did not wear extraordinary outfits like the others in Sugar Rush wore, he was only one step up in the social ladder than she was, but he was still obviously very poor.

"Good luck out there," she stated finally, meaning every word of what she said. She knew that he would need all the luck in the world.

"King Candy will be racing today too," he said enthusiastically as he turned away from her, "Maybe I will get to meet him in the winner's circle."

"Right," Carmella answered, "He'll be in first place."

"Oh I know I can't beat him," he stated, stars filled his eyes, "He's the best racer in all of Sugar Rush. No one has ever beaten him…but second place is good."

"But it's no cigar," Carmella informed him with a wag of her finger, "If you are going to race then you should want to beat him. If you're not first, you're last, Peanut."

"Whatever that means," Peanut replied as he hopped into his car, "I'm going to make a new car anyways. So I will have a chance. I'm trading this one in. They may give me a couple of cupcakes for it, then the rest I'll pay on installments."

Carmella smiled as she watched him peddle away from her in his ugly cavity causing car, a young dark haired girl in an aquamarine sweater hurried toward him to wish him luck on the race.

"Hey you going to the race," Peanut hollered toward her.

She smiled and nodded at him as she moved away from the open area. She needed to find a place where she could at least clean up a little. She wasn't a fan of leaving the outskirts of town looking like the vagabond that she was. She had some sense if respect for herself. She could fix her hair and wipe the dirt off of her face. There wasn't much that she could do with her ratty clothes though, that was something that she had to live with. Ugly, dirty clothes were all that she owned.

She would be at the race though, just to support Peanut.

...

Chants, laughter, and applause exploded from around Carmella as she stood at the fence that separated the crowd from the track. Jelly Bellies and Candy Corn hollered behind her for their chosen racers. The thrill of the races was almost touchable as she looked down to see poor little Peanut standing by his new black licorice designed motor car. Beside him was a beautiful white car with a seat that had a crown designed to stand up on its own.

He was actually placed beside King Candy in the line up. He kept his helmet on to keep his face out of the public eye just in case he didn't win, he did not want to be the laughing stock of the outer city limits. His image was kept secret from the cameras by the white and blue helmet and black sunglasses that he wore upon his small round face.

"Ladiesss and gentleman," the voice of King Candy announced from high above her, his lisp was barely noticeable over the loud speaker and over the roaring of the crowd, "Let the games begin!"

Carmella looked up as a large purple carpet fell from King Candy's podium high above her. She watched with an amused smile as he slide down the multi-patterned carpet and landed perfectly in his car. She couldn't help but chuckle and clap as she watched Peanut hurry into his car and place his seat belt on in case of emergency.

She looked up to the starting line and watched as bright pink numbers counted down from ten for the racers to begin the race. She bit at her lip as spectators pushed passed her to get the perfect spot of the finish line. That's not what she wanted to see, she wanted to see Peanut race. She didn't want to see it on the big screen. She wanted to see him actually race.

"Move trash," a deep voice of a Jelly Bean hissed at her as she pushed by her and toward the stands where other Jelly Beans sat cheering on their various favorite racers.

She pushed passed the visitors and spectators until she was out of the racing park. She knew the best place to see her friend race and it was just outside of the race track and very few people knew about it. She hurried on foot toward the perfect place.

Carmella quickly trekked up the hill as the racers swerved around a very sharp corner. Chocolate dust flew everywhere as they all barreled down the track at high speeds.

She sat at the very top of the grassy heel and watched with a smile as she watched Peanut staying neck and neck with King Candy. Every assault that the little monarch had thrown at him had been excellently dodged.

She watched as they quickly moved passed each obstacle, Peanut was keeping neck and neck with King Candy. She felt a happy bubble feel her stomach and quickly move to her beating heart as she watched two come by again.

"Go Pea-"

She watched in horror as the sound of metal hitting metal banged in her ears. She watched as the two cars collided and sped out of control. She watched as King Candy's car took flight and crashed violently into the ground while Peanut's car swerved and crashed into the gate that separated the track from the rest of Sugar Rush.

"Peanut," she screamed and hurried down the hill and onto the chocolate covered track. She rushed toward the young boy's side and pulled his helmet and glasses off of him.

"Are you okay," she asked as she looked into his weary eyes. She watched as a smile came over his face and he pushed himself out of his car.

"Did you see me," he asked happily.

Sirens buzzed toward them. She turned quickly to look at the monarch's car and a sudden cold fear filled her thin frame. She quickly placed the blue helmet upon her head, hiding her hair from sight.

"Get out of here Peanut," she hissed as her eyes moved toward King Candy who was laying with his forehead on the steering wheel.

"What," he asked in confusion as he looked into her dark hazel eyes.

"They will make this your fault," she hissed, "You killed the king. You think they will just let that go by without punishment? That's treason, Peanut!"

"But you can't-"

"GO PEANUT!"

The sirens edged closer as she glared at the boy.

"Run," she hissed as she laid her head upon the broken steering wheel. She watched as he hurried up the hill to hide from the approaching ambulance and patrol cars.

"Your Majesty," she heard the glazed donut officer announce as he hurried toward the broken car of the monarch.

"I'm fine, really," King Candy announced in a loopy tone as he was pulled from his car. She watched as she was forgotten in her car as the king walked as if he had drank too much at the local bar off of Game Central Station Avenue. A small red mark appeared upon his forehead as he was walked by her. She shrank back slightly at the intimidating monarch that was being helped off of the race track.

"I want him at my cathtle immediately," King Candy slurred as he pointed to the broken car that had belonged to Peanut.

She lifted her head slightly and moaned as if she were in slight pain from the wreck that had occurred. She watched as the donut officers hurried toward her. The paramedic Jelly Beans didn't even look her over as the officers pushed them to the side and forced her against the hot engine of the car. She closed her eyes as her hands were jerked behind her and placed in the middle of her back. Pain shot through her arms as the cold metallic of the handcuffs were tightened around her thin wrists.

"Come on psycho racer," the tall donut officer informed her as she was pushed toward their car, "You have a date with King Candy. He's not too pleased with you peasant."

She closed her eyes as she was thrown into the backseat of the large police car. The car was pink with the words "Sugar Rush PD" scrolled in pink and blue letters across the side. She looked up to the hill to see Peanut watching with worried eyes as the car pulled away from the wreckage.

"Well so much for paying for my car on installments," she said aloud and smiled as the two officers chuckled at her words.

She closed her eyes for the rest of the ride to Candy Castle. She had to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. King Candy could sentence her to death or to life in the fungeon, which she had heard had not been all that fun. Neither choice sounded too good for her. She took a deep breath and prayed to whatever entity that was out there that King Candy would be lenient on her.

She wouldn't know what was in store for her until she was to stand in front of the king of Sugar Rush which sent a strange shiver down her spin at the thought of being face to face with the man that she had only seen on the big screen and heard about.

Carmella didn't know what to expect of King Candy.

* * *

**So you guys really like me? You really do? I'm so humbled by the response! They make me unbelievably happy! **

**Carmella will go to the castle! They still think she is a boy! What will happen when they find out the truth? **

**Review! :)**


	5. Familiar Grounds

**Chapter 5: Familiar Grounds**

Carmella, still disguised as Peanut, was pushed inside the immaculate castle that belonged to King Candy. She had always heard that the castle was filled with the most beautiful and most expensive of candies, but she had yet to see any of them. The only thing that lined the salmon colored walls were paintings of various women, most of whom looked exactly like her.

Carmella stopped quickly and looked at the paintings that made up the long hall. The character in the drawing was her, but it wasn't her. Her eyes took in the great detail of the plain blonde hair where no sugar crystals were placed. She felt a tug at her as if the paintings meant something to her, though she could not remember why there were paintings that resembled her that decorated the halls of King Candy's castle.

"Keep moving," the glazed donut demanded harshly as he pushed her forward.

She took a deep breath as they walked into the large throne room. There was no throne to be seen, just a little hole in the wall. Sour Bill stood in obedience with his eyes set on the floor along with a bored expression upon his face. Silence took over the throne room as they waited for the monarch to appear.

A comedic horn chased the awkward silence away. The horn was attached to a very new, very beautiful white cart that King Candy drove. Carmella watched as King Candy did donuts around her and the officers that held her in place.

"He does that sometimes," the smaller, wider donut informed her in an annoyed whisper. She couldn't help smile at the officer's annoyed words.

She watched as King Candy backed his car into the space where his throne stood high. She smiled as she watched the car fit perfectly into the throne.

"Hoo-hoo," King Candy announced happily as he jumped out of his car and skipped gleefully toward his subjects, "Drives just like new," he stopped quickly as he looked at the dirt covered racer standing between the two donuts, "Sour Bill who's this?"

"The driver that cost you the race sire," Sour Bill replied in his trademark unamused voice, "Peanut Brittle."

"Peanut Brittle," King Candy asked in confusion, "Who ith that," he looked down at the disguised racer and hurried toward her and asked seriously, "You didn't game jump did you," he jumped in excitement as a horrible realization came over him, "You haven't went Turbo have you?"

Carmella did not answer. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched the fluffy pants monarch jumped up and down in excitement.

"Why aren't you answering me," King Candy asked in confusion. He turned to Sour Bill and asked, "Why isn't he answering me?"

She did not answer his question. She stood with her head down. She did not want to expose herself and suffer the consequences of identity theft. She had heard that the fungeon was not a nice place to stay in for any amount of time.

King Candy glared at her, at her defiance. He had never been so blatantly disrespected in all of his reign.

"Take her to the fungeon," he demanded as he turned his back on her and started to walk toward his throne once again, his legs spinning as if they were tires upon a cart. Carmella had never seen a character in Sugar designed to model their cart. She couldn't help but be slightly amazed at how detailed his gait was, even the way he held his hands told her that he was a racer through and through.

There was a reason why King Candy was the best racer in Sugar Land. It was in his code to always be the best.

"Wait," she begged quickly. The shackles on her wrists hit upon each other and made a strange hissing noise throughout the throne room as King Candy turned quickly.

Carmella had allowed them all to hear her undisguised voice, allowed them to hear the slight accent that she carried deep within her. She could see the monarch's eyes widen as he turned to look at the character that, she was sure of, he thought was a male racer.

King Candy's eyes straightened as he glared at the covered face of the racer. He placed his arms upon his rounded hips and waited for her next sentence to escape those pink lips of hers.

"My name isn't Peanut Brittle and I didn't game jump. I swear. I'm a part of this game," she admitted with urgency as she looked to the king, hoping that he would have mercy upon her for admitting the truth. She hoped that he would not go after the real Peanut Brittle.

King Candy chuckled at her admission. His hands grabbed at his ribs as his chuckles morphed into loud, uncontrollable laughter. He slapped his knee as the laughter slowly started to wane. His subjects and Carmella looked at him in confusion as the laughter slowly faded into soft giggles. Tears from the immense joy that had just come over him fell from his eyes and he quickly wiped them away.

"Unshackle her," he demanded with a wave of his hand, "And take off that sthupid disguise."

The donuts quickly moved behind Carmella and unlocked the cuffs that bit into her thin white flesh. King Candy's eyes never left the disguised racer as she grabbed at her wrists to relieve them of the pain that they had been put through as she messaged them softly.

She closed her eyes as she felt the helmet being ripped off of her head. The sunglasses fell from her face and onto the hard floor with a small bang as they hit. Her long blonde hair fell from the helmet and curled around her shoulders as if it were a blanket to protect her from the harshness of the world around her.

Carmella opened her eyes as a collective gasp escaped each character in the throne room. She looked at King Candy as a strange recognition came upon his face. Each character had a look of complete shock upon their faces as they looked at her. She gave them all a soft, embarrassed smile as they took in her dirtied appearance.

"You," King Candy exclaimed as he placed his hand over his heart.

"Me," she asked in confusion as she looked at his large eyes that took in her dirtied appearance.

"Sour Bill," he stuttered as he kept his eyes on the dirt covered woman in front of him, "I thought you said you couldn't find her."

Her brows creased as he talked about her. Confusion was the only thing that fit upon her face as her eyes locked onto the king's eyes.

"We couldn't," Sour Bill asked; his voice, for a moment, had lost its bored tone.

"How…how is it that she's standing here then," he asked, trying to contain his speech impediment as he looked past the dirt and to the bright hazel eyes and sharp facial features that he had stared at every day since he came to Sugar Rush. Her picture lined the walls of the castle. He had made his subjects search high and low for her, but they had returned with nothing. He had taken care of Vanellope, who by all accounts had been the star of the game, and he had planned on taking care of the unknown woman in the paintings.

He looked at the woman standing uncomfortably in the middle of the room surrounded by characters that had their mouths wide open in shock. He felt a slight pang in his heart for how uncomfortable she looked.

"What's your name," he asked as stood tall in front of her. She was the same height as he was with very lanky legs and arms.

"Carmella," she replied obediently.

He nodded at her response and then looked at the others and shook his head. He clapped his hands together and with a soft chuckle said, "Alright, alright, give me a moment with the girl."

Carmella watched as the two donuts and Sour Bill hurried out of the throne room, leaving the two alone together. Her eyes swiftly looked about the room, large candles lit up the room to expose her to the immense pink coloring of the room.

"You have anything to sthay for yourself," he asked as he crossed his hands over his chest.

She felt a smile pull at the side of her lips, but she quickly stopped it before the king noticed it.

King Candy noticed the twitch at her lips; he could see herself fighting the want to smile, to show how comfortable she really was inside of this castle. He had to know who she was! How had she been hidden away for so long?

Carmella looked around her quickly as she tried to process a lie that would sound believable as to why she had impersonated Peanut.

"I…I…uhm," she stuttered and then lowered her eyes as the truth escaped her, "Peanut was just a stupid kid, Your Highness. I didn't want him to go into the fungeon. He has his whole life ahead of him."

He chuckled at her honest response and waved her excuse away as he stated in a happy tone, "Oh I heard that conversation. Very sthisterly of you."

"You," she asked as her brows creased in confusion, "You heard me take his place."

"Listen sister," he stated with a large smile, "It takes a lot to knock me out. He just glazed me enough to see Starbursts. It's nice that the kid has family that cares about him."

She chuckled at his response and then shook her head, "I'm not his sister. I don't have any family."

"You don't have family," he asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice. "Who are you exactly?"

"I'm just Carmella, plain little Carmella," she admitted honestly, "Why are there paintings of me in the halls? Little obsessed with me already?"

He stopped quickly and looked into her eyes. It would be a lie to say that the paintings did not resemble her. The mischievous smirk that painted her pink lips brought a smile of his own as he looked at the striking woman.

"They were in here when I," he stopped quickly, almost giving away his dark secret. He'd have to watch himself around her.

Carmella looked into his large eyes and smiled as she watched him shake his head and say, "They've always been here. It was a shame to throw away sthomething so pretty."

"I am beautiful, aren't I," she asked with a bright smile as her posture straightened as she became more and more comfortable around the bubbly monarch. She twirled a strand of her dirty hair around her finger.

He chuckled at her question and turned on the ball of his foot. Carmella watched as he walked away from her in his strange gait.

"Where have you been hiding out," King Candy stated as he jumped into his cart.

She shook her head and looked down at the floor as a soft sadness over took her and brought her whole mood down to the floor. She felt like a child that had just dropped his ice cream to the floor. She hated her place in this game.

"I don't have a home," she replied as she pointed to her dirtied clothes and hair, "I'm homeless."

She watched as a strange look came over the monarch; a look that was a mixture of sadness and intrigue. She had never seen such a look in all of her life.

"Why do you ask," she asked in confusion as she watched King Candy ring a large rope that lead up to a silver bell that rang loudly throughout the castle.

"Sour Bill," King Candy ordered as the small green candy servant hurried into the throne room.

"Yes," he asked in his bored, unattached tone.

"Take Ms. Carmella to the showers," King Candy demanded of his servant.

Carmella's eyes widened at the king's demands. She felt a slight panic come over her. Sour Bill looked up at her with a look of uncertainty in his eyes.

"Sir," he asked.

"You heard me," King Candy repeated, "Then give her the Cotton Candy Room."

"What," Carmella asked in confusion as Sour Bill hurried toward her to lead her up the stairs to her left. She shook her head as she watched King Candy start his car and pull his goggles over his face.

"Follow me," Sour Bill demanded as he moved toward the stairs.

Carmella moved as the monarch pulled his car out of the throne parking spot and drove away from her. She was left with a feeling of foreboding bubbling inside of her stomach and excitement that flooded her heart.

It seemed as if she had a place to live now. It was all because she had tried to protect a kid that looked at her as his sister.

She turned to Sour Bill and smiled as she hurried toward him and up the stairs to wash the dirt off of her body. She would finally have clean hair, something that she had wanted for some time now. It seemed that her split second decision had changed her life for the best.

* * *

**So I watched WIR three times in a row just to watch King Candy. I've seen a lot of fics and things on Tumblr where he just stutters/lisp everything with an S but from what I saw & heard he didn't do it all the time. Mostly when he was excited. So that's how I'm going to have him talk. **

**Also, is he somewhat in character? I put this chapter off forever just because I was afraid I just might completely ruin his character.**

**Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. Reviews mean a lot to me! I cherish them :)**


	6. Ballad of a Politician

**Chapter 6: Ballad of a Politician**

**So the song that inspired this chapter is "Ballad of a Politician" by Regina Spektor. It's a comparison between a stripper and a politician. Check it out, it's great.**

* * *

King Candy listened to the clanging of glass beer mugs as he sat at the end of the mahogany bar inside of Tapper's. He came here occasional to escape the hassles of being the king of Sugar Rush. Having young racers coming in and out of his palace asking for pointers on racing became very tiring after a while. Signing royal decrees caused cramps in his wrists and the ink stained the frills on his white shirt. Being king was exhausting.

"You have another," the voice of Tapper, the bartender, asked as he looked over to King Candy's empty glass. A single red cherry sat at the bottom of the glass.

He contemplated the question as he shook his head. His head was already feeling wobbly from the two previous flavored rum drinks that he had consumed as he processed the appearance of the strange woman that had entered his palace made of white chocolate. She was quite the enigma and he wanted to know more about her.

Carmella. Carmella who? Who was she?

"No," he replied as a large smile came over him, "The little lady wouldn't like that very much."

He felt a sense of pride come over him as he watched the other assorted game characters turn to look at him in immense confusion. He knew what they all thought. He knew that the fluffy pants, purple jacket, and salmon painted walls made the other characters talk about his sexuality, or lack thereof. In fact, he had even heard stories about tales of him and Sour Bill together. Fictions, all of the stories were complete fiction.

He enjoyed looking at the beauty of a woman, but his work at being the greatest racer and king had taken up most of his time. It seemed as if he had become married to his work, only being relieved of the stress when he found time to escape to Tapper's. Being King Candy wasn't exactly a walk in the park, sometimes he wished that he had someone to help carry the weight of ruling Sugar Rush and other times he wished that he had just programmed himself to just be a simple game character and allow the glitch to still reign as ruler...but he knew damned well that his pride would never allow that to happen. He just simply had to be the best of the best.

"The little lady," Tapper asked as he cleaned a glass with a white wash cloth. King Candy could see the look of disbelief in the short bartender's mocha colored eyes.

"She just dropped out of nowhere," King Candy answered happily, "She had nowhere to go so I let her have a wing in my castle. I couldn't just allow the poor thing to live on the street. I mean what man or candy in his right mind would allow a woman as beautiful as her to live in the dirt. She should be polished every night...like a," he paused as he tried to find the perfect example, "...like a first place trophy!"

"What's she like," Tapper asked as the other patrons crawled around him with their glasses of assorted alcoholic drinks to hear the story of the mysterious woman that King Candy was so ecstatic about.

"Yeah, let's hear about her," a patron urged on, "I bet Sir Boast-A-Lot doesn't even know what is under a woman's skirt!"

He ignored the slander and smiled as he thought about seeing the woman all squeaky clean. He had left before she had a shower. He had left on purpose. He wanted the woman to ponder her situation and what was to become of her future in Sugar Rush. He wanted to be surprised by how she looked without a layer of chocolate dust covering her entire body. He wanted to hear her questions that he knew she had. He just simply wanted to look at her and hear her ask him questions. He wanted to feel that power, even if he had no candy pickin' idea as to why her face decorated the halls of his castle.

"She's beautiful," King Candy informed them, "Like WOW! She's more than beautiful! She is sweeter than the world's sweetest sweet tart!"

"Yeah right," an unseen patron announced, "Everyone knows that there is only little snot nosed children in Sugar Rush. What are you into little girl's now?!"

"She'sth not a child," King Candy announced defensively, he felt slight anger boiling inside of him at the character's insinuations, "She's an adult."

"Right!"

He shook his head at their disbelief. He could make them believe him. It was the truth after all. There was a very lovely woman that would live in his castle and he had made sure that she had her own separate wing away from all the other game characters. He had placed her in that wing on purpose. It was the wing closest to his own and it would be easy for him to get to her.

"I can make you believe," King Candy informed them harshly as he crossed his arms as he forced the angry bubble out of his chest.

"It's okay Your Highness," Tapper stated with a smile that did nothing to calm the monarch's anger that started to boil inside of him once again at the bartender's cheeky statement.

"And how are you gonna make us believe that she exists," someone demanded from the back of the bar over the laughter that filled the rancid bar room.

"I'll…I'll," he stuttered as he tried to find a way to prove that she existed, "I'll get her to marry me!"

An uproar of laughter came from the surrounding crowd of, mostly bad, game characters. They refused to believe that the woman living in his castle existed. He felt as if his pride had been smeared by their lack of belief. Usually he never cared about what others thought, but for some reason, he cared now.

"Right," a large, burly man announced as he wiped a tear from his eyes, "You do that and we will all bow down to you and give you fifty coins a piece if it does happen."

"You're on," he announced as he pushed himself off of the hard bar stool and onto the floor, "I'll show you all that I can get a girl."

The laughter rose higher and higher as he bounced quickly out of the bar room. He knew that they were laughing at his misplaced belief in himself as well as his peculiar gait. His arms stiffened in anger as he walked into Game Central Station and into Sugar Rush. Anger filled him as he jumped into his parked cart and started the engine. He wanted to get far away from what he had just experienced. Laughter, especially laughter that was brought on at his own expense, was not something that he enjoyed. In fact, if any one in Sugar Rush laughed at him, they had a first class ticket straight to the fungeon.

As he whipped around curves sharply, a smile took over his face at the thought of the bet that he made. He knew that it would not be easy to get someone to look at him other than a puffy pants king with a lisp but he wanted to try just to prove those buffoons wrong, plus it helped that the girl was exceedingly beautiful. She was beyond beautiful. Her creator had really put time and effort into the little details that made her up. The paintings did not do her justice.

"_There's got to be sthomething wrong with her," _a tiny voice inside of him whispered as the doors of his castle were opened by the Oreo guards. He found himself becoming giddier as he thought of wooing the woman…or it could be a side effect of the flavored rum that he had drank at the bar, he wasn't sure which.

He parked his car and hurried up the stair case that led up to the Cotton Candy Hall where he had ordered Sour Bill to take her. It was her own private wing where no other character could discourage her or annoy her. He couldn't explain why he wanted her to stay.

Did he _need _a queen?

He had been completely fine without any romantic attachments. He had been ruler of Sugar Rush for quite a while without having a queen.

Was he _really _that lonely? Was he starved of affections? Was he really unhappy in being alone in a castle that was teeming with people?

Children did not make the best people to talk to about his thoughts. Sour Bill was just a sour puss that never even pretended to care about his problems. Maybe having someone else to listen to him could alleviate those feelings of complete loneliness.

As he hurried through the hall, his heart fell into his stomach as he heard the soft sound of humming coming from one of the many bath rooms that made up the large castle made out of wonderful white chocolate. It was soothing to his ears as he came slowly walked toward the soft hums.

The humming grew louder as he approached the closed chocolate door. He could hear Carmella banging around inside the bathroom. He stood in front of the door, not knowing what to do. He needed to talk to her; he needed to start wooing her in an attempt to claim her as his queen and prove those idiots at the bar that she was truly true.

King Candy felt his heart skip a beat as the soft voice of the woman started to sing inside the bathroom. He could hear the water running into the large ceramic tub. He could smell the distinct flavor of bananas escaping under the door as if it were smoke trying to escape the hot flames of its creator.

"You love so deep, so tender," he listened to Carmella's soft voice echo through the door, "your people and your land. You love 'em til they can't recall who they are again."

He felt a slight heat bubble inside of him at the words that she had sang so softly. Fear filled him momentarily at the thought that she knew exactly who he was. He turned away from the door quickly as he heard the water quickly turn off.

_Does she know who you are? Does she know about Turbo? It's impossible, improbably! It's unheard of! _

"Is anyone out there," he heard her call out. The thoughts quickly escaped him as her words vibrated inside of his mind. He quickly moved away from the door and hurried down the hall in hopes that she would not find him standing at the door. He knew that it would not help in his plan of wooing her if she thought he was a perverted old king that enjoyed peeking through key holes at the unsuspecting woman behind it.

King Candy stopped quickly and looked up to the large painting of the woman that was bathing just a few doors away from him. He felt his heart skip a beat as he looked into the painting's surreal eyes.

"Who are you," he asked as he looked into the painted woman's hazel eyes, "Why are you here? Where have you been hiding?"

"But I am, but I am," he heard her sing loudly as if she did not care who heard her. He couldn't help but smile, she wasn't the best singer that he had ever heard, but he had to admire her bravery and confidence to sing loudly in the shower.

"But I am," she sang passionatly, "Not a number, not a name."

He stopped and turned to look at the door with a questioning look in his dark chocolatey eyes. He felt a shiver run down his spine. It seemed as if she knew he was asking these questions and she was trying to answer them. Though he knew that she was doing no such thing. It was impossible.

"But I am, but I am, but I am," she sang once again this time softer and more mysteriously, "A carefully laid plan."

He would ask her as soon as she came out of the bathroom just who she was. The mystery that she carried with her consumed him. He wanted to know about her. Getting to know who she was would come first before wooing her and making her queen.

...

Carmella smiled as she pulled herself out of the shower. She hummed as she grabbed a large pink towel and placed it over her wet, glistening body that was now clean. She had already taken three showers just to get all of the dirt out of her hair.

She smiled as she looked over to the silk white gown that Sour Bill had brought for her to wear during the night. It was a very matronly dress. She smiled at the thought of the sour servant walking the halls only to see her walking around in a long shirt and panties. In the short time that she had known Sour Bill, she had gotten the impression that he was clearly a strict non rule breaking type of guy.

Carmella slowly slipped the gown over her pale body and smiled as she looked into the mirror to see her beautiful form. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at her now clean body. She now looked like the woman in the paintings. She smiled as she hurried to dry her hair. With each strand that dried, sugar crystals beamed in the light.

She hurriedly pinned her sparkling blonde bangs behind her ears. She smiled as her long curls fell lusciously over her bosom and showed off her very feminine features. Her hair was finally soft and her skin was clean, cleaner than it had ever been since she could remember.

"_There's a reason you're painted on the walls," _a soft voice hissed inside of her as she peered into the mirror. She felt engrossed by the image that she was looking at.

"_Imagine yourself covered in diamonds," _the voice hissed as Carmella pulled the back of her hair up to examine her long swan like neck. She had a figure that models would kill for. She had to thank her figure on her distaste of sweets. She had almost starved before she found a group of trees that produced an abundance of fruit.

"I would look mighty scrumptious in jewels," Carmella whispered as a smile started to tug at her pink lips. She quickly shook her head and pushed the growing smile away.

"No," she stated as she pulled her dark hazel eyes away from her reflection. She wasn't going to do anything that was unbecoming of her.

"_You could be queen,"_ the voice hissed loudly in the back of her mind.

Carmella looked back up at the mirror and shook her head as she allowed her curls to fall back around her bosom. She closed her eyes momentarily as she thought of what her own self was suggesting. It went against everything that she had believed in personally. She believed in love. She believed that marriage should be based upon love.

"_He'll fall in love with you. You intrigue him. Your face litters this castle," _the voice informed her in a raspy voice, "_He may already love you. You will be queen in six months."_

She shook her head at her reflection. She bit at her bottom lip and stated harshly, "No," she shook her head as if anger were boiling inside of her, "No."

"_Pathetic harlot."_

Carmella smiled as her hazel eyes burned brightly and a malicious smile came over her beautiful features, turning her once beautiful face into a horrifying beauty.

"I can make him love me in three."

She stopped and shook her head, causing the smile to disappear, as she added, "But only if I fall in love as well."

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**And there is 6!**

**Tell me what you think. It helps me flesh out the story with everyone's input :)**

**Review review review! (I didn't do my homework just to write this chapter!) **


	7. Setting the Plot

**Chapter 7: Setting the Plot**

**Short chapter guys. **

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King Candy stood under the large portrait of the woman that now stood inside his bathroom. The eyes upon the painting were surreal. He had always caught himself, on his most stressful of his days, looking up at those eyes. The hazel eyes had a calming effect upon him; something that was hard to find when ruling a kingdom like Sugar Rush.

"See anything that you like," he heard a soft, slightly accented voiced woman ask from beside him.

He turned quickly to see Carmella standing in front of him. Her blonde hair fell in curls around her, sparkling slightly in the moonlight that poured in from the skylights above them. Her felt his voice stop as he looked her over in the perfectly fit white gown that Sour Bill had lent her.

He tried to speak to her but he couldn't find the words to speak to her. He had never in his life been driven speechless. He watched a smile tug at her pink lips as she looked away from him and examined the painting upon the wall.

"Now why would a king such as yourself keep paintings of little ol' me," she asked with a smile as she took in the intricate paint brush swipes upon the canvas, "I must say it is very flattering, Your Highness. But why? Why am I all over the place?"

"Got me," he admitted honestly with a soft smile as he looked at her hazel eyes.

Carmella turned as she felt the monarch's eyes gazing at her. She gave him a soft, courteous smile in return as she looked into his milk chocolate eyes and watched happily as an uncomfortable smile came over his chubby facial features. She straightened her gown uncomfortably, feeling slightly exposed in her new sleeping attire as King Candy took in her extreme beauty. She closed her eyes and cursed her beauty silently.

Her beauty gave her power, but it was also a silent curse in its own way.

"Uhm," Carmella said as she cleared her throat, "Thank you for allowing me to take a shower and giving me refuge for the night, Your Highness, but-"

"Call me Candy," he said happily as he turned to look at her head on. The moon shown over the both of them in the hallway that seemed purple in the darkness.

She smiled at his request and nodded her head obediently as she said his name, tasting the name upon her lips as it left her. She wouldn't admit it, but she felt honored to be one of the few to say his name.

"_You'll have him under your thumb in three days."_

She closed her eyes and willed the horridly dark thoughts from her mind.

"Thank you," she stopped as she looked up at him, "…Candy, but I can't stay here for long. I think that it may be more suitable if I left the castle first thing in the morning," she stopped once again as she took in the look of slight sadness that tugged at his lips, "But I am greatly appreciative of the shower, but I don't want the other players to think that I am-"

"Nonsensthe," King Candy announced as he waved her worries away, "Your portrait hangs on my walls. It would be a sin to throw you out into the wildths like that."

She chuckled as she looked at the king. She couldn't mask the happiness that covered her sharp facial features. She felt a bubble of giddiness fill her up. She felt as if her skin burned brightly with the amount of happiness that danced through her veins.

"Thank you, Your High-," she stopped quickly and added softly as she moved closer to him, "Candy."

King Candy looked into her beautiful hazel eyes as she moved closer to him, edging as slow as cold molasses toward him. He felt his heart stop momentarily as her soft lips touched his cheek. A quick shiver shot through his spine at the soft touch. He could feel the silky softness of her lips and could smell the beautiful banana aroma that exuded from her soft womanly features.

A sigh escaped him as she pulled away from him.

"You," he stuttered as he forced himself to look up at her, "You ssss-smell like banana pudding."

Carmella smiled softly at him and chuckled.

"_I told you," _the hissing voice whispered darkly, "_He would take you right here right now as his wife for those affections and to have your hands on his-"_

"I think I should be getting to bed," she whispered, forcing herself to ignore the voice inside of her head, the voice of unreason. It was a dark side that she fought with for as long as she could remember. She had been successful in ignoring it, but she found it becoming harder and harder to ignore inside these castle walls.

"It'sth getting really late," King Candy concurred as he looked up at her slightly flushed face. He could tell that it would be simple to have her agree to be his bride. She seemed smitten by him the first time that they locked eyes. Those beautiful hazel eyes seemed to look deep into his soul.

"Maybe," she whispered as she moved away from the candy monarch; the skirt of her gown billowed around her on the tiled hallway floor, "Maybe you and I can discover the mystery of why my face lines these great halls tomorrow."

King Candy was taken slightly back from this request. A smile tugged at his lips as he watched her walk with such a regal air about her that he couldn't help let a chuckle escape her as he watched her open the door to her bedroom and disappear inside. He let his hand lightly touch his cheek where the velvety lips of his guest had touched only moments ago.

He jumped and twinkled his toes in excitement. Another chuckle escaped him as he thought about winning his bet against those buffoons in Tapper's Bar. He would win that bar and have a knockout woman on his arm.

"_Only the best arm candy for King Candy," _he thought to himself happily as he turned away from Carmella's bedroom and the portrait.

"Hoo-hoo," King Candy announced happily as he hurried toward his own bedroom with a bounce in his step, "She'll be the perfect one!"

He had the perfect plan on how to begin wooing her and it would start that morning. He couldn't wait until he could see that white smile and smell her beautiful aroma.

* * *

**And there it is. Told you it was short.**

**I love reviews. They help guide this story greatly. They make me think of things that I have never thought of before. Tell me what you think, guesses as to what may happen, etc.**

**Thanks for reading :)**


	8. Double Striped Vanity

**Chapter 8: Double Striped Vanity**

**Sorry guys! I'm in college and being a history major means shit tons of reading! So if you are planning to be a history major, it's lots and lots of BORING reading! So that's my excuse for not updating this story, plus I was writing my Django Unchained fic (and me being a history major I enjoy historical pieces a lot more!)**

**Sorry for the wait.**

* * *

Carmella sighed deeply as she stretched her tired appendages as far as her muscles would allow her. She smiled as the warmth of the fluffy, clean, white sheets and blanket surrounded her like a comforting parent's arms protecting her from the harsh coldness of the world around her. She inhaled deeply the smell of the clean sheets and smiled at the sweet vanilla scent that wafted around her. This was the first time that she had woken up in a decent bed, not some spongy sponge cake that left crumbs in her hair after a night of tossing and turning just to find some sort of comfort.

A knock came at the door and slightly opened to reveal small animated jelly beans jumping around her, carrying trays of sweets for her to devour for her breakfast. She grimaced at the look of the sugary sweets as she pulled herself from under the sheets and into the cold world around her. Her white night gown clung tightly around her body as she moved from her sitting position to a standing one. The sunlight beamed in through the balcony window to the right of her. She could finally receive a full view of the luxurious room that King Candy had allowed her to take comfort in for the time being.

"What's all this about," she asked with a raised brow as she watched the jelly beans scurrying about in an attempt to carry a dress wrapped in pink plastic to keep sticky residue off of the fabric.

"His Majesty, the king," a yellow jelly bean announced in a severely high pitched voice that made Carmella's eyes squint in slight pain, "has requested your company for a morning walk around the grounds."

"Ahh," she said as a soft smile tugged at her plump lips, "Well I can get dressed on my own," she looked at her reflection in the nearby mirror and smiled, "Really, I've dressed every day on my own for a while; I think that I can manage this one day."

"The missus needs to eat," a red jelly bean informed her as the bean placed the tray upon the bed that the other jelly beans were frantically making.

"I will," she lied, looking at the tray of sweets with complete distaste upon her face, allowing anyone to take in the ugly look, "But please, I need some time alone to get ready. Tell King Candy that I shall not keep him waiting long."

"Yes madam," the yellow jelly bean announced as the small handful of jelly beans hurried out of the bedroom, leaving Carmella alone to look about the well decorated bedroom. Shades of vanilla filled the room that she was living in; the carpet was a soft vanilla cream color and felt like fresh winter snow to her bare feet. Large white pillars made up the bed posts, giving the room an elegance that she had only dreamed of.

She chuckled as curiosity filled her. Her room was luxurious; King Candy's living quarters must be even more luxurious than this luxuriously beautiful room, and most likely in shades of pinks, purples, and gold, the colors of royalty.

She looked down at the dress that the jelly bean servants had brought in for her. Her hands slowly moved toward the paper, being careful with the wrapping as if it were a newborn infant or a poisonous snake that she was forced to touch. She carefully pulled the pink covering off of the dress and her breath was lost to her as she took in the beautiful gown that was brought to her.

"He expects me to wear this," she asked as she looked down at the beautiful pale blue dress, simple in its design but gaspingly beautiful in style. She pulled the dress from the bed and held it in front of her to inspect what it would look like upon her pale body. It stopped just before it touched the floor; it was sleek and strapless, except for one long double striped cloth that would hang loose over her left shoulder.

"_And why not? You deserve this!"_

Her smile grew as she looked at herself in the mirror. The sugar crystals in her hair sparkled as the incoming sun beams reflected upon the small strands.

"_Make your beauty work in your favor, Carmella."_

"Isn't that how I have lived my life day to day," she asked harshly as she glared at her reflection. She felt slight anger bubbling inside of her, "I don't want to always depend on my looks."

"_It's all you've got! What, do you think that he will fall for your bubbly personality?!"_

"Won't he," she asked as she looked down at the dress, now turning away from the mirror. She closed her eyes as her hands moved across the fabric.

"_You know that the only thing that people see in you is your looks,"_ the hissing voice stated harshly, "_Why else do you think you were allowed to stay in this castle? Your beauty makes you different than anyone else in Sugar Rush. You were designed to be the most beautiful."_

Carmella sighed as she listened to the inner hiss and shook her head.

"It shouldn't have to be this way," she whispered as she pulled her nightgown off over her head, ruffling her blonde locks as she did, "I'm to be only valued on my looks. What shall ever happen to me when I age?"

"_You will be ignored. And we both know that being ignored is a fate worse than death."_

"I've been ignored all my life," Carmella reminded her, "No one ever noticed little old me, the girl with the dirty hair and mangy clothes."

"_If you were ignored then why does your portrait line every hall in this castle? Honey,"_ the hissing voice chuckled, "_You have never been ignored."_

Carmella smiled at the thought as she carefully pulled the blue dress over her slim body, enjoying the feel of the fabric upon her bare skin. She quickly fastened the back of the long dress and placed the loose fitting strap over her shoulder.

"_Double stripes break,"_ the hiss reminded her as she turned to admire the dress upon her body.

"And you think that he means to break my straps," she asked, "as if symbolizing my feminine security? Forgive me for believing that he has some manners. He seems to be a proper gentleman to me."

"_He's giving you everything your heart desires. Look at those shoes," _the voice hissed harshly as Carmella placed her hair into a messy bun upon the base of her head, allowing some strands to fall beautifully around her, helping to enhance her beautiful sharp features, "_Look at this room, that dress, a man doesn't give away luxuries without a price."_

"And what price is that," she asked bitterly as she glared into the dark hazel eyes that were glaring at her.

"_Your body."_

"I don't believe that," she hissed in anger.

"_You put too much faith in his gentlemanly manners. It will all waiver in time."_

Carmella felt her anger boil over as she looked at her reflection. She was growing fed up with the thoughts that had attacked her and belittled her.

"I want you to get out," she hissed as she quickly and bitterly pulled herself from her reflection, something that was becoming harder and harder to do with each passing day, "Let me be."

"_And who else will protect you? Your parents? If you haven't noticed, characters are running short on those around here."_

She felt the biting urge to turn and face her reflection once again, but she fought it with every fiber in her body. She hurried toward the door and placed her hand upon the silver door knob but hesitated to open it. She felt panic come over her as she replayed the words that the hissing voice had just announced.

The words were true of course. There was no one that she could depend on, but herself.

"_What are you going to do?!"_

She turned and a wicked smile came over her face as she looked at her reflection. She smiled at the beauty that radiated off of her in the beautiful mirror. There wasn't a character in Sugar Rush that could rival her looks. There was never an argument against that statement, and now that she was dressed properly, she was regal, like a beautiful woman should be.

"I'm going to fall in love with King Candy."

...

King Candy smiled as he looked into his own large mirror. He pulled at his bow tie to make sure that it looked perfect for his date with the woman that had just pounced upon his life. He felt absolutely giddy as he looked himself over. A blush came overtook his cheeks, causing a hot rush of unwarranted emotions to come over him as he thought of the soft kiss that Carmella had gifted him before they said their good nights.

"Sthour Bill," Candy said excitedly as he jumped up and down, unable to hold in the excitement of his walk with Carmella.

"Yes," Sour Bill asked in his monotonous bored tone as he looked up at the monarch of Sugar Rush.

"Is sthere any woman more beautiful than the lady in the room down the hall," he asked, looking at his loyal servant with an expectant smile.

"Not that I have seen," Sour Bill answered.

"I wasth justh thinkin' outloud," King Candy announced, stuttering his words from giddiness as he corrected his bow once again, "Sugar Rush has a great king, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Well then," Candy announced as he turned with a flourish to look at the sour candy servant, "what if Sugar Rush were to have a great queen? Hoo-hoo!"

"What," Sour Bill asked in slight worry and astonishment.

"I know, I know," he announced as he waved Sour Bill's worries away, "I'm rushing it, but I think that she's got great potential for ruling. Don't thyou?!"

"But Your Majesty," Sour Bill announced watching as the king of Sugar Rush bounced with each step he took as he moved to put his shoes upon his large feet.

"No cuts, not buts, no coconutsth," King Candy announced in excitement as he hurried to the door, "I'm gonna ask her to be my queen tonight!"

"But-"

"Shthe'll have to say yes," King Candy announced as he rubbed his hands together, "What girl doesn't want to live in a castle and be queen?"

"But Your Majesty-"

King Candy chuckled as he ignored Sour Bill's words. He turned his back on his loyal servant and twinkled his toes together as he added darkly, "And if she's saysth no then off to the fungeon with her!"

Sour Bill watched in stunned silence as the monarch hurried down the hall to take a morning stroll with the strange woman that he had just met yesterday. He wasn't liking it one bit, there was no telling what that woman could do if she were to be queen.

He would have to stop it somehow. He couldn't let this unknown woman wear a crown, that just couldn't happen for the benefit of Sugar Rush.

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**So not a lot of stuff happening in this chapter. Just setting for things to come in the future. **

**What do you think?**

**As always reviews are loved!**


	9. A Whole New World with You

**Chapter 9: A Whole New World with You**

**Lots of fluffy goodness within the confines of this chapter.**

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King Candy bounced through the long salmon colored corridor with a large, happy grin painted upon his chubby face. His heart beat quickly at the prospect of proving the patrons of Tapper's wrong and winning his bet.

He chuckled as he stopped at the large door that hid Carmella, his future queen, from him. Giddiness erupted inside of his short body as he tapped upon the heavy door. He leaned in closely in an attempt to hear her scurrying across the floor just to see him. He knew that any woman in their right mind would jump at the chance to be his queen, why would this girl be any different?

That fact alone, that Carmella was a woman and not a little girl, made him unbearably happy. He had been surrounded by candy and children since he had first taken over the game. It was exciting and almost nerve wrecking to have a woman as beautiful as Carmella was inside the castle.

He wondered how she had escaped him for so long. Where had she hidden?

He made a mental note to ask her all about her life on their walk before popping the question to her. True, he did not love her, but he rationalized that kings and queens married in the past without even knowing each other more than an hour. They learned to love each other, or at least deal with each other cordially, how could it be any different than in this situation?

And besides, it was all to win a bet. Nothing more, nothing less. Carmella would just serve as a figurehead without any sort of political power. She was to sit pretty beside him on the throne while people gawked at her beauty that would belong to him.

"Oh I am a rather selfish man," he announced in a sing song voice as he hopped up and down slightly, "Carmella? You there?"

There was no answer from inside the bedroom. He slowly wrapped his pudgy fingers around the slim silver doorknob and slowly opened the unlocked door.

"You there," he asked as he slowly peeked inside.

His eyes grew the size of saucers as he took in the empty room. He could smell her beautiful fragrant aroma that still lingered in the air as he looked over to the already made bed where the full tray of sweets remained untouched. He could see dust particles dancing in the air that Carmella had breathed in moments before. The curtains of the window billowed from a strong gust of wind and his eyes darted to them. A feeling of panic and fear, emotions that he had never felt before, rushed through his veins as thoughts of her fleeing in the night from the castle crossed his mind.

"Why you-"

"Your Highness," the soft voice announced from behind him, a voice that dissolved every horrible emotion that rushed through his veins previously. Her voice was one of the sweetest voices that he had ever heard, saccharine in tempo with each word that escaped those lips.

"You were saying," Carmella asked as she listened to the bells upon his shoes ring as he jumped around with a large smile upon his face as he took in the luxurious dress that Sour Bill had given her. Her hands absently played with the fringes of the almost wing like sheer sleeves of the dress as she watched him look her over.

"Why," he stated slowly, "Why you are a visthion in blue."

She felt a blush come over her cheeks as she looked down at the dress that she was wearing. Her eyes slowly moved to look up at the king of Sugar Rush and offered him the softest smile that she could afford to give him in her slight embarrassment as he gazed upon her pale skin.

"Sour Bill," she said as she cleared her voice to rid the thick, uncomfortable air around the two of them, "He brought it to me…well actually these little candies, but I think he was the one that told them to bring it to me. He really has great taste for an angry little fellow. Okay," she said as she slipped a piece of fallen hair behind her ear as she looked at his smiling face that brightened his chocolate eyes, "Now I am rambling so I'll just shut up now."

'_Why am I rambling,' _she thought to herself as she forced a comfortable smile upon her face. She had never allowed her feelings to twirl so out of control as had just happened. Something about his comment sent her reeling and she had never in her life been driven to ranting like a mad beggar on the street from a simple compliment before. Something was wrong with her she knew.

"So what do you have in store for us today," she asked with a smile, regaining her composure from her previous rambling, feeling a new sense of bravery fill her tiny frame as she looked into those beautiful brown eyes that held many secrets that she wanted to know.

"I wasth thinking," King Candy announced quickly, filled with excitement, "that we could go for a walk about my kingdom. I'm sure you are curiousth about other areasth of thisth wonderful world of ours. Would you care to join me for a stroll?"

Carmella chuckled at him as she watched him hold his arm out to her. She bowed her head slightly at his request as she slipped her arm through his extended arm and moved closely beside him as they walked in unison steps through the salmon colored corridor.

"By the way," she announced as she looked up to him with a bright smile, "I love the room. Salmon is a pretty color, but purer colors will always be my favorite."

"I'm glad that you like the scheme of your room," he announced with a chuckle as he patted her hand that was now wrapped gently around his own hand, "Have you ever driven a cart before?"

She giggled as they walked down the steps toward the throne room where King Candy's white cart sat alone, untampered with in its home of the throne and asked, "You mean besides the one that I pretended to crash," she chuckled again as he left her side and skipped toward his car, "Then no," she said, "I've never been anywhere near a real cart before."

"Well then," he announced happily as he jumped into his cart, ignoring the protective goggles and driving gloves, and started the engine that purred like a happy kitten as he fueled it forward.

He stopped the cart in front of her and patted to the seat directly behind him and said, "Get in."

"Your Highness," she argued as she shook her head, "I'm not so sure that it's safe to-"

"My dear banana gum drop," he announced with a chuckle as he looked into her hazel eyes, worry was evident in her eyes, "That was an order."

Carmella bit the bottom of her lip as she shook her head and argued, "But what if I fall out? No, I'm not getting on that-"

"Carmella," he announced, using his authoritative tone, thought it was softer than he had usually used with his insubordinate subjects, "It'sth safe. I won't let you fall out. You can trusth in me."

She looked into his eyes, his words of trust bouncing back and forth between her mind and her heart. She felt a tug in her chest as she watched him extend his hand out to her. She shrugged her shoulders and chuckled at the thought of her pathetic fear.

"I trust you," she stated as she grasped his hand and allowed him to help her into the racing cart. She sat comfortably behind him as she listened to the cart purr and vibrate underneath her as if it were some wild beast that she was sitting upon.

"Where are we going to go," she asked as the vehicle lurched forward quickly causing that forgotten fear to enter her body and cause her to lunge forward. Her arms lurched forward and wrapped like a constricting Twizzler around his midsection. She closed her eyes as the car steadied and moved forward.

King Candy felt his heart fall as he felt her arms wrap around his midsection. He understood where her fear had come from. She had never been around a real cart, she had seen wrecks from the many races that had been put on, and she had completely lost to this world, she had been hidden away from her true place at the castle.

"Why to look around my kingdom, my banana gum drop," he informed her with a smile as he took a deep breath and continued forward out of the castle with his plans of wooing her.

...

Sour Bill hurried into the throne with plans of obtaining information. He screamed in his monotonous tone for the loyal guards that stuffed their faces at the dinner table in the corner of the throne room.

"Wynchel," he screamed, "Duncan! Get over here!"

The two donuts hurried to King Candy's right hand man. They wiped the cream from the candy off of their hands as they looked down at the green angered sour ball.

"Yes sir," Duncan announced and stood at attention as he awaited Sour Bill's instructions that seemed more important than any other instruction that Sour Bill had given them.

"The king may be in danger," the sour candy announced as he looked from the king's throne and back to the two donuts.

"Does this have to do with the mysterious girl from the painting," Wynchel asked as he placed his hand upon his weapon, "I don't trust people in paintings. How'd they get out and still be there anyways?"

Sour Bill rolled his eyes at the dimwitted donut's ignorant comment and replied in a harsh tone, "Something is not right with that girl and I'm going to find out."

"What you want us to do," Duncan asked as he looked down at Sour Bill.

"Watch after him," Sour Bill demanded, "I'm going into the code's vault to get all the information that I can on her."

Duncan and Wynchel saluted Sour Bill and retreated quickly away from him, leaving him alone to enter the code vault alone. He had done it before, on several occasions for odd reasons when King Candy was too drunk off of rum from Tapper's to swim back out of the vault. He had done that particular job on several occasions and one time through one of his drunken nights the king had revealed the code to get inside which he memorized in case of future problems like the one that the mysterious Carmella had brought in to the Sugar Rush kingdom.

He quickly typed in the memorized code and smiled as the doors opened, beckoning him inside with its forbidden information. He hurried inside, not depending upon the ropes as King Candy had, and swam through the uncountable codes of each character and each racing level.

"Now where are," he stopped and smiled as a bright red code flickered back at him as if trying to beckon him toward him like a fish from the deep trenches of the deepest parts of the ocean. He quickly moved toward it, smiling as he saw the name 'CARMELLA" written in beautiful cursive writing upon it.

Sour Bill tapped on the pixelated name plate filled with her code and quickly shuffled through her code, reading aloud each important information line that looked back at him.

"Most beautiful character," he announced with a roll of his eyes and quickly moved passed that lousy piece of information.

"Vain," he read as he looked carefully at the strange code. Three small branches struck out from these main codes which he quickly opened. His eyes opened as he read the three branches of code.

"Vanity pollutes her," Sour Bill read with wide eyes and then quickly moved to the other line of code, "Vanity killed her maker," he hurried away from that line of code and opened the last code upon the vanity branch, "Vanity will kill her."

Sour Bill shook his head at that information. It was her weakness, but that was not what he was looking for. He had no want nor need to do away with the game character, she had done nothing against him, yet, and he was sure that her vanity could do nothing to harm him.

"Ahh," he announced as he moved through the rest of the long line of uninteresting code to rest upon a bright red code that alerted him to some sort of danger with her, "Who are you?"

His fingers lurched forward and opened the code. His eyes filled with horror as he watched black licorice curl out of the code that sparkled with sparkling red sugar flakes as it curled around the code's bars. He quickly pulled away from the tainted code and closed it as quick as his small hands would allow him.

Sour Bill's heart beat quickly as he swam out of the vault and back to the safety of the castle. What he had seen had frightened him to the core. He had never seen something so ugly inside something so beautiful before.

He quickly turned and looked at the serene lake of codes that floated as if something horrible did not lurk beside them with dark intentions, hidden away from all eyes and worry. He quickly closed the vault and locked it. He said a quick prayer to whoever would listen in hopes that whatever darkness lurked inside that code would not escape and contaminate all of Sugar Rush like a virus.

"I have to warn the king," he cried as he lurched forward and out of the forbidden code room.

...

King Candy turned off his cart and felt that tug at his heart as Carmella let him go. He quickly hopped out of the cart and held his hand out to her in a gentlemanly manner.

"Let me help you," he announced with a smile as he watched her place her hand trustingly in his own hand. He closed his fingers around her slim hand and helped her carefully out of his cart.

"Where are we," she asked as she looked down at the yellow brick road that rested underneath her feet. She smiled as she looked around her, taking in the beautiful scenery of bright red trees that soared high above the pink and white cotton candy clouds above them. A sigh of delight escaped her as she took in the immense beauty of the land that she had never before seen.

"You've never been here before," he asked in slight confusion, almost forgetting that she had never actually left wherever she had been hiding out.

Carmella quickly turned to him with a sad smile upon her face and shook her head as she admitted, "I've never left Diet Cola Mountain."

He watched as pride filled him as she looked around with astonishment painted upon her beautiful features. Looking at her now, he finally understood how those paintings did not give her justice. The emotions were lost upon the painting, but here beside the very woman, he could see every emotion that emitted from her face. Pride swelled inside of him at the thought of her being able to see things that she had never been given the chance before because he had been the one to bring her here.

"Come, come," he announced happily with a little happy hop as he grabbed her hand, "There is much more to see."

She allowed him to pull her forward, past his royal racing cart, and toward a large cave in front of them. She quickly stopped and watched as he turned to look into her questioning hazel eyes.

"Aren't you going to take your cart," she asked.

"Well my darling banana gun drop," he announced, using his new found nickname for her, "I can't take in your lovely emotions upon that delicate face of yours if you are in the cart."

A red hot blush came across her face as he pulled her forward, the bells on his shoes twinkling and chiming as they ran together over the yellow brick road and under the cave.

As they exited the cave, it seemed as if they had entered into a whole new world. Swans danced across a perfectly serene lake of crystal clear blue water. Fish danced out of the water, mocking the birds above them waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Oh my gosh," she announced with a gasp as an amazingly large smile crossed her face as she took in the beauty that surrounded her. Her eyes grew to the size of large saucers as she looked up to snowy mountain caps and beautiful blue skies above her.

"Where are we," she asked breathlessly as she looked down at the smiling king beside her. His grip on her hand tightened slightly as he looked at the amazement in her eyes.

"This isth the side of the kingdom that doesn'th have a race track," he informed her happily as he watched dragonflies buzz passed them, dancing in the air. Pink flower petals danced upon the wind currents as he took her hand and pulled her forward.

"This is unbelievably," she stated with a smile as they continued forward, "It's like a whole new world," she turned to him with a bright smile on her face, "It's unbelievably beautiful. I've never seen something so wondrous as this place."

"And it's our secret," he informed her softly, "I've never brought anyone else here before."

"What," she asked as in confusion, a smile slowly crept back upon her face, "No one," she shook her head, "No one has ever been here?"

"Just you princess," he replied, using a new nickname for her. He watched as a large, thankful smile came across her face as the chilly wind blew against their bodies.

"Thank you," she whispered as he pulled her forward, an indescribable feeling came over her as she watched him walk with happiness in his funny little gait. She felt like a shooting star as she walked by him, each turn they made she found something new that she enjoyed.

"This is just our secret," he informed her as they came to a snowy ridge. The snow sparkled in the sunlight like beautiful glass upon the ground.

"Our own little wonderful world," she announced happily as she threw herself around him and gave him a large hug.

King Candy's heart beat hastily as he felt her against him. He could feel the happiness radiating from her as he began to lose his balance from his own happiness. He chuckled as he lost his balance and fell into the snow beside them, destroying the untouched pure snow upon the ground as they lay together in the cold snow.

Her hand fell against his vest and lingered over his heart as she chuckled into his shoulder. He could smell her special aroma and he felt something enter him that he hadn't felt in such a long time. He quickly pulled himself above her and smiled down at her as she laid below him with bright hazel eyes that looked up at him in slight confusion.

"Candy," she asked with a smile as she looked into his milk chocolate eyes.

He took in her immense beauty as she lay underneath him on a pure white blanket of freshly fallen snow in a place where very few knew about. His heart beat as he looked at her glittering blonde hair as it formed an angelic halo around her head.

Carmella smiled at him as she looked at him. She found her hands moving on their own accord, grasping at his lapels tightly. She smiled as she looked into his eyes that were now filling with soft want. She pulled him toward him and placed a soft, simple kiss upon his pink lips. She could feel his own smile as she they kiss became more than a soft kiss but not yet a passionate one fueled by love and lust, just a simple getting to know you kiss.

His hand moved toward her neck to deepen the kiss. A slight ping escaped Carmella's body as his hand brushed against the double striped strap upon her shoulder. She chuckled as they broke the soft kiss.

"Double stripes break," she informed him with a knowing smile as she looked at the lost strap that had disappeared into thin air from his touch.

King Candy pulled away from her reluctantly as he looked down at her wondrous lips that he had just touched with his own.

"I have to askth you sthomething," he admitted, his words coming out quickly in panic of being unsure what she thought about the quick kiss.

"Yes," she asked as she pulled herself up into a sitting position. Her hazel eyes looked up at him with bright happiness, a happiness that hadn't left their eyes since they had entered this hidden world.

He quickly grasped her hand and pulled it into his own hand and held it in his lap. He forced himself to clear his throat and speak slowly; he wanted this to be perfect. She deserved it perfectly.

"I don't want you going back to those rags that I found you in," he admitted as he looked up at her beautiful clean skin, "I want you in the finest of gowns and jewels…maybe even a crown upon that lovely head of yours."

"Wait," she replied, confusion clear in her voice as she looked into his chocolate eyes, "Are you asking me what I think-"

"Will you consider being Queen Candy," he blurted out, his grasp on her hand tightening as she tried to pull away from him.

"Oh," she said, worry crossing her features as she looked at the monarch, "I'd be a fool to say no, but I-"

"If it'sth about the wedding night," King Candy stated, "Don't worry about that. It can justh be platonic. I'm too old for you anywaysth."

"No," she stated quickly, "It's not that. Really. It's just that," she paused, "You barely know me. I could be plotting to murder you for all you know."

"Well if you were," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "You wouldn't be telling me about the plot. Now would you?"

"But you don't know me," she argued, "And I don't know you? What if you really don't like me? I'm not that good of a person."

He chuckled and waved away her worries as he informed her, "Here me out. Kings and queens have known each other for less than five minutes and lived happily ever after. I think we have a leg up on them considering you've already stayed the night in my castle."

She smiled at his reasonable words. It would benefit her if she were to become queen; she would never have to worry about scavenging for food or going hungry ever again. She would be protected. And it would be a gross lie is she was to deny their being some strange comfortable chemistry between the two.

"Okay," Carmella announced happily with a large smile, "I'll marry you and be your queen, Candy."

King Candy jumped from the ground happily. He clapped in glee as he helped her from the ground.

"I have my own beautiful Queen Candy," he announced happily, "You will be Carmella Candy from here on out!"

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**And there you have the proposal! Obviously this was inspired by "A Whole New World" from Aladdin. **

**So what did Sour Bill see? I bet it's not good. Any ideas, my lovely readers?**

**Did you enjoy the fluffy goodness of the end of this chapter? **

**Review and tell me what you think! :)**


	10. The Unwanted

**Chapter 10: The Unwanted**

Carmella smiled brightly as she closed the door behind her and leaned her back against it. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she thought of her marvelous time with the king and his proposal. A sigh escaped her as the beauty of the scenery found its way back into her mind from her outing with the king of Sugar Rush only mere hours ago. Her smile softened as she felt the tender spot on her lips where his lips had touched her own, her hand moved absently toward her lips and gently caressed them as she fondly remembered the simple, yet soft, act.

Her first real kiss was with the king of Sugar Rush. A sense of pride and self-worth filled her at that little piece of knowledge.

"_So you're working faster than expected," _the voice hissed ecstatically, "_Excellent. Just like-"_

"Oh shut up," she hissed as she glared at her reflection that glared back at her with harsh hazel eyes, eyes that seemed to threaten her very self. The eyes that looked back at her were not wholly hers, but someone else entirely, someone not human, someone evil, someone that did not belong within the realms of her reflection.

Carmella pushed herself away from the door and walked over to the vanity. She placed her hands upon the sides of the sharp vanity, her palms bit into the hard material as she glared at her reflection.

"I will not hurt him," she hissed, "I will not let _you _hurt him!"

"_So his proposal to you has made you all the more strong,"_ the hissing voice bit back at her bitterly, "_You wouldn't be able to go through with falling in love with a little dwarf toad like that man if it weren't I that put the idea in that simple little head of yours. You should be thanking me, groveling at my feet like the peasant that you are!"_

She closed her eyes and turned away from the vanity in hopes of escaping the vile, acidic words that escaped in a hissing, demonic form and wrapped itself around her, attempting to squeeze the life out of her.

"Go away," she pleaded as she shook her head. She had begged the voice to leave her alone. She couldn't understand why it had come back all of a sudden after taking a very long absence from her life. Why had the voice decided to come back when she entered the castle and met the king?

"_You look at me, you little worm,"_ the voice demanded in immense anger.

Carmella shook her head as she tried to ignore the voice's demand, but ultimately failing horribly. She felt the power of the need to look at herself in the mirror overpowering her. The hypnotizing effect that her looks brought her overpowered her sense of willpower. Tears raced down her cheeks like the racers of Sugar Rush zooming in and out of harm's way as her body turned upon its own accord to glare at her reflection that was now staring back at her with a wicked smile upon its face.

"_Look at yourself, your beauty. People will celebrate that."_

A soft smile tugged at her lips as her beauty sparkled in the mirror, hypnotizing anyone and anything that passed by the reflection. Her hands moved toward her high cheek bones to touch her skin fondly, taking in the unbroken, untainted skin. Her fingers softly moved to caress her plump lips to caress the sacred place where King Candy had kissed with his own lips just a few hours before. The sensation of the kiss still remained upon her lips causing a slight tug at her heart in an attempt to remind her of what she was battling in front of her.

"_You are beautiful," _the hiss reminded her, "_You and I can have whatever we want based on your looks. This kingdom, the other games. Just play your cards ri-"_

"No," Carmella hissed as she glared into her reflection as she finally finding her inner strength, pulling her eyes away from her hypnotizing beauty, "I won't go that far."

"_You will do as I say," _the voice billowed in anger, "_or I will destroy you!"_

"You can't-"

Carmella watched in fear as the left side of her cheek was slit open horrifically in the vanity's mirror as if an invisible intruder with an invisible butcher knife had violently attacked her. Pain radiated through her body as she watched her soft flesh being torn away from her face, allowing blood to pour like a violent lava rush out of her to stain her pale skin. Her once untarnished skin was no cut in the most ugly and jagged fashion that it would leave a scar that could not be forgotten or unseen.

She gasped in immense fear and grabbed at her destroyed cheek; her heart beating as fast as it had ever beat in her life as fear throbbed inside her veins as she kept her eyes on the horrid, bloodied reflection of herself in the mirror. Her hand touched desperately at her untouched, undamaged cheek. Her heart beat slowly trickled down to its normal slow gait as she touched her soft, undamaged skin. Relief filled her as she took deep gasps of air in an attempt to ride herself of the panic that had previously filled her.

"_I can destroy you and break you down to nothing," _the voice hissed, "_You won't be any better than that damned street rat that you were before! You will be lower than that! You'll be unwanted."_

Carmella felt her heart ache at the thought of being forgotten once again. Losing her beauty meant that she would lose everything that had changed for the best. She wouldn't be allowed in the castle if her beauty faltered even for a moment. King Candy would take back his proposal of marriage and she be damned to the cold streets again, starving and filthy from lack of a roof over her head and nutritious foods.

"I won't hurt him," Carmella cried as she looked into the mirror at her reflection, "I won't let that happen. I have found myself caring for him. Please understand that."

"_No you're going to-"_

"Lady Carmella," the familiar voice of the yellow jelly bean announced as she opened the door with a look of morose upon her face, "Sour Bill has requested an audience with you."

"Fine," she announced as she turned away from her reflection, relieved to feel a lightness come over her as the hissing voice, that seemed to take great pleasure in destroying her, faded away from her. She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and waited patiently for the small sour candy to enter her chambers.

"Lady Carmella," Sour Bill said in his dull, dreary, droning tone as he entered through the door slowly. His green eyes looked up at her, taking in the remnants of the tear stains upon her white face. Concern bubbled through him but he quickly forced that away. He was determined to find out just what she knew about herself.

"Sour Bill," she announced, forcing a smile upon her face, "How can I help you?"

"You don't know who you are," he probed as he moved closer to her, but keeping his distance in case she tried anything funny, like licking him or putting him in her mouth.

Her brows furrowed at his strange questions and shrugged her shoulders as she replied honestly, "I'm Carmella. That's all I know."

"You don't know why your portraits hang in our halls," Sour Bill asked as he looked up at her with questioning eyes.

She shook her head at his question and answered, "No," her eyes brightened, "Do you? I am very interested in finding out why."

Sour Bill looked away from her and nodded as he looked up to her, morose filled his eyes as he looked at the seemingly innocent woman that stood in front of him.

"You need to come with me," he informed her and hurried out of her chambers, not slowing down for her to catch up with him.

"Hey wait," she announced as she hurried after his retreating form. She hurriedly made her way out of the bedroom and into the hallway that was blissfully free of the candy servants that jumped at her feet before. She watched as Sour Bill rushed through the hallway toward the throne room.

She hadn't a single thought as to why the little servant was hurrying forward or what he had found out about her as she hurried down the hall to catch up with him. The only way she could know was to follow him and find out for herself why she seemed to be an important part of the game.

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